Akbash

Developed as a livestock guardian, the big-size, strong, large-headed Akbash Dog is a rare Turkish breed that is always white, having brown, oblique almond-eyes, strong neck, blunt nails, long and often feathered tail, v-shaped ears, dark mottles on the skin (under coat), and is known for its keen sense of hearing. This breed takes time to mature, with some individuals taking even up to two to three years. The Akbash dog is good for such owners who have previous experience in canine behavior.

Akbash Pictures

Akbash Dog Pictures

Akbash Dog Puppy

Akbash Dog

Akbash Images

Akbash Lab Mix

Akbash Photos

Akbash Pictures

Akbash Puppies

Akbash Puppy Images

Akbash Puppy Pictures

Akbash Puppy

Akbash

Quick Information

Other Names

Çoban Köpeği, Akbaş, Akbash Dog

Coat

Dense, rough, double, short to medium

Color

White

Group (of Breed)

Guardian

Lifespan

10 to 12 years

Weight/Size

Male: 90-140 pounds; Female: 75-105 pounds

Height

Male: 28-34 inches; Female: 27-32 inches

Shedding

Moderate

Temperament

Independent, intelligent, loyal, alert, loving, bold

Country of Origin

Turkey

Hypoallergenic

No

Litter Size

7-9 puppies

Good with Children

Yes

Competitive Registration

NKC, UKC, CKC, ADI, ARPI, ACR, DRA

Akbash Dog Video:

Other Similar Breeds:

History

Little is known about the origin of this breed, but they have been considered to be ancient. As mentioned, the Akbash dog was first bred in Asia Minor, now called Turkey, as a guard dog to guard livestock, seemingly having influence of both the mastiff and the sighthound in its ancestry. Later, in the 1970s, two American researchers, Judith and David Nelson, while conducting research on white colored Turkish dogs, introduced many of the specimens of the breed of akbash to USA.

Temperament and Behavior

As a flock-guard dog (preying especially upon predator wolves, coyotes, bears etc.), the akbash, with its strong maternal instinct, takes the responsibility in protecting the family children like they are a part of its flock, and would even guard its family by instinct by patrolling, for which reason they would be very suspicious of strangers, and would initially bark or growl as warning, however not being aggressive. Not being too much of an energetic breed, the dog would keep its energy in store for emergency situations, during which time they would show their immense speed, strength, and athleticism. They are not tolerant to other breeds, and the most effective place to put this dog is where they have some job for themselves, and they would not hesitate giving up their lives for the owner. They are not suitable for apartment life though, since they need at least half an acre of space to play. Rural or country life suits them the best.

Care

The usually calm-natured, low-energy breed, with a low rate of metabolism, and hence, if they do not get proper exercise hours, they would tend to become destructive, indulging in lots of barking, digging, pacing, chewing etc., hence, taking them out for long walks or jogging and allow them to play around in a fenced area daily is important, and hence, leashed exercise is not recommended.The natural guardian dog is adapted with a harsh coat requiring nominal maintenance, and hence, brushing it weekly is enough to keep it healthy and the dead hair away. Bathe it rarely, if only the white coat is dirty. Other than that, trimming their nails at times, and brushing the teeth regularly is good.While getting the puppies from the breeders, buying only from OFA hip certified stock is recommended, since this breed might get affected by hip dysplasia, however, they are otherwise a generally healthy breed, with a few other general dog diseases and conditions like epilepsy, osteosarcoma, lymphoma, cruciate ligament injuries, hypothyroidism, gastric torsion (bloat), umbilical hernias, cardiomyopathy, kidney failure, a few other cancers and joint inflammation. Keep it away from sun and heat.

Training

Train it consistently and reward it for good behavior, rather than being harsh while giving them socialization or any kind of training, since that might only lead to challenging behavior or any other such behavioral syndromes when adult. Let it know that it’s you who is its pack leader by leading it wherever you take it, since, as a flock guard, its authoritative instinct is strong [3, 4]. Use a stern voice and some light negative methods to rectify its bad behavior. Allow it to socialize with people and not to become too possessive about its ‘flock’ or ‘property’.

Feeding

Even though it can survive on any kind of food, but basically, the akbash is a meat-eating type of dog and read meat is the recommended type of food. You can also serve it with vegetable dishes and other eatables with high nutrition, especially those that contain enough fiber. However, do not let it overeat to avoid problems like bloating. If you feed your pet with dry foods, leave the food for 10 to 15 minutes only, and then remove to avoid overeating. You can also mix the dry food with some ideal canned food, however, no more than two meals a day is required. If your akbash enjoys foods like cooked egg, fruits, cottage cheese and vegetables, make sure that these do not exceed more than 10% of its daily diet. It is also advisable not to allow it to exercise one hour before or after its meals. Supply enough water to your dog and change the water every day.

11 Responses to Akbash

I rescued an Akbash/Lab mix (Jerry) from my local pound, in mid-Nov. 2016. In early Nov. (’16), at neutering, the vet estimated him to be @24 months. I’ve been owner-training him as a mobility service dog, including helping me to be able to get up when I fall. I have nothing but glowingly positive things to say about Jerry!!!! Granted, if he were a full Akbash, that might’ve been at least a somewhat different story and a bad trade off to gain a few extra inches and pounds (he’s only 27.5″ at the shoulders and @100#’s.) He’s HIGHLY intelligent, learns extremely quickly, and absolutely LIVES FOR getting his vest on and getting to go with me! When he’s “off-duty,” he loves his “2nd job” almost as well – doing his best to rid my rural 7 acres of rodents… (Which probably contributed to his having wound up in the pound, in town….. When he gets onto a rodent scent, he “turns into a roto-tiller.”) He’s happy being a couch-potato part of the day; and, is perfectly behaved when he’s in his service dog vest (even at restaurants, where he knows he has to wait until we get outside for him to get his) ; but, I typically dress and undress him in the car; and, when I’ve taken him “off-duty” and given him permission to get out of the car, I’ve seen him go from flat-footed to about 4 feet straight up in the air, do a 180 turn in mid-air; then, gleefully take off like a white rocket… Having a dog like Jerry in an apartment; or, even a house with a small yard, would be GROSSLY UNFAIR to him!!! I fully agree that it’s CRITICAL to understand, large, working breed dogs; and, to have a rather large, well-fenced, area for them – one which you don’t mind having dug up. (Keep in mind that this breed has been bred for things such as decision-making ability and self-reliance, FAR MORE SO than dogs who’ve been bred to be “pets.”) Mixed with Lab, Golden, etc. can “smooth things out” some, while retaining the desired attributes of the Akbash breed; but, it’s still CRITICAL to research and understand that “tabula rasa” is a “load of bravo sierra.” There ARE trade-offs for all those wonderful Akbash attributes; and, too often, ignorant people result in absolutely fantastic dogs being slaughtered at pounds for reasons which are NOT the dog’s fault!!!!

Really? It’s okay to take an Akbash pup to socialize at a dog park? I am considering a hybrid Akbash/Anatolian. I have a small farm and about 30 goats. High predation, so I move them from paddock to paddock and enclose at night. Paddocks vary in size from 1/2 acre to full acre. I have a two year old Maremma, also. I like the short coat of the pup I am considering. She is mostly black with white socks and a blaze. Thoughts?

Hi Suzanne!
Since the Akbash are naturally aggressive towards other dogs, taking them to dog parks needs constant supervision. Make sure that you earn your Akbash/Anatolian pup’s loyalty, trust, and respect before it sees you as its pack leader. This is crucial for controlling dog-on-dog aggression. For starters, expose your dog to different things, places, animals, and people, take it out to walk on-leash, and get it accustomed to car rides. Work on getting its attention before going out. If you find another dog approaching head-on, go around your pet in an arc to keep its attention as usual, and then reward.

I got an akbash about 3 months ago.. and the last month she has been showing some serious aggression with other dogs when we go on walks. But does fine with the dog at our house… any tips on how to correct this?

Hi,
What you need now is a bit of patience. The more your dog shows aggression towards other dogs, outdoors, the more you should take it out to help it relax, and get used to it. You should also take your dog to the dog park, where it can see (and learn) how other dogs from different owners are playing peacefully with each other. This should work. Best of luck!

I’ve been raising Akbash, Kangal and Anatolian dogs now for 7 yrs. I had pyrenees dogs previously. I don’t recommend these dogs for 1st time big dog owners. If you are experienced with big breeds and have a family and a place with acreage…..yes. these dogs will protect you and your family with extreme prejudice! I know this 1st hand.
These dogs have a long memory. You can fool them once, but never again the same way. They work at night. They bark to warn predators away. You will get used to the barking.
Your estimate of the breeds years (3,000)is off. Most dog historians and Turks will agree that the breed is closers to 5,000 years old. They’ve never been bred out of their breed in Turkey. So their blood line and habits have been ingrained. By the time they are 8-10 months they will be wanting to get to their job. They work all night and tend to sleep and be on the lazy side during the day.
I can’t recommend a better dog for the right situation. Awesome dogs!

Mark, I love your comments about your experience with the Akbash and their traits. I would like to point out however that they will work during the day and sleep at night depending on the situation. I have a beautiful 1.5 yr old female that cares for and guards my chickens, ducks, goats, and rabbits. Since my animals are all free range, and go into their respective housing at night, my dog has no need to be alert at night, but she does patrol, and stay within eye-shot of her charges during the day. I think I was also quite lucky with her instincts, she was chomping to start her work with the animals before she was even 5 months old. I spent a lot of time outside with her and by the time she was only 6 months old, she put the chase to a marauding fox that I’d been having trouble with. I whole-heartedly agree with you. They are awesome dogs!

I have an 11 yr female akbash. She is so sweet, follows me around the house. She loves people, I used her as a therapy dog. She helps me when I fall down from my fibromyalgia and helps calm my anxiety. I grew up with large dogs German shepherds. She gaurds me from house flys and black flies. I do dog walking and she loves the other dogs, they are in her pack.

“This is one breed that takes time to mature, even up to two to three years, and is a good choice for inexperienced or new owners.”

WHAT?!? This dog is absolutely unsuited for novice owners. It is large, powerful, independent and dominant. This is a working breed. They are no more suited to uncertain, novice owners than they are to apartment life in the city.